


The Epic of Teenage Angst

by BlueAndRedMakesPurple, Radioactive_Ducky



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Baking, Cryptid Hunting, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn Keith/Lance (Voltron), background klance, obviously they have a band, video games - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-19 19:36:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14244291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueAndRedMakesPurple/pseuds/BlueAndRedMakesPurple, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Radioactive_Ducky/pseuds/Radioactive_Ducky
Summary: The daily high school life of Lance, Hunk, Keith, and Pidge as they go through the ups and downs of life.(Ironically we """try""" to update weekly)





	1. Morning Loser

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to make a slice of life high school au but obviously I couldn't do that alone so I got some help. Thank you to the lovely BlueAndRedMakesPurple for helping me edit this story.
> 
> Please ENJOY!!!

**KoGAYne:** Lance you better be ready by the time we get there or we’re ditching you!

**LanceyLance:** You wouldn't dare! Hunk would never betray me like that!

**Pidgeotto:** Unfortunately, that’s true -_-

**LanceyLance:** Maybe you'll think twice before blowing ur money on a busted motorcycle instead of a car :-P then maybe u wouldn't be having this problem

**KoGAYne:** I’M WORKING ON IT!!!

**Hunkules:** I made breakfast burritos :)

**LanceyLance:** Youre an angel Hunk  <3

**Pidgeotto:** You are literally my will to live  <3

**KoGAYne:** I would die for you buddy  <3

***

Hunk placed his phone into his duffle back before going back to finish the last of the breakfast burritos. He had helped his Ma make tortillas yesterday for Mexican food night and had some left over for the morning. He had made sure to label Keith’s wrap since Keith tends to like his to be a bit spicier than the rest of them.

“Food for your friends again?” His Ma asked as she combed out his younger sister’s hair as she was eating breakfast.

“Yeah, I had some extra time this morning,” Hunk shrugged, “plus there was this new spicy recipe I wanted to try out on Keith.”

His Ma shook her head in amassment and worry, “That boy has an iron stomach.”

“I like Keith,” Talia commented as she took another bite of her food “his eyes are pretty.”

“Tsuyoshi, you’re gonna be late if you don’t hurry,” His second mother came into the kitchen with her briefcase in hand and a file in front of her face. She paused momentarily to give her wife and daughter a kiss before going over to do the same to Hunk.

“Gonna lawyer it up today mom?” Hunk asked as he finished up and began to clean the counter.

“Hope so,” She said, huffing out a tired breath, “you and your friends have your band thing today, right?”

He nodded, “Yeah, why? Need me to watch over Talia after school? If you want we can cancel, it’s no big deal.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” His mother assured him,“but if you could pick her up from Girl Scouts today that would be perfect. Your Ma has to close off the restaurant today and I have no idea what time I’m gonna get off.”

Hunk gave her a thumb’s up before grabbing the keys to his van, “No prob bob. Bye Ma, bye Mom, bye Talia!”

“Bye sweet pea, have a nice day.” His Ma called out in return.

***

Keith slipped his phone in his back pocket, glimpsing into the mirror to run his fingers over his hair before grabbing his sweater and backpack. He paused at the door for a moment before heading towards the wall adjacent towards his bed and giving it a few good knocks before entering the living area. The TV was turned on to the news and Shiro was in the kitchen already dressed and making breakfast for himself. Pulling on his jacket and backpack Keith entered the kitchen area to poke around in the fridge for a water bottle.

“Want me to make you breakfast?” Shiro asked, he had on his blue polo uniform for work, fading yellow lettering and constellations printed out in the back.

“No thanks,” Keith slammed the fridge shut before opening the water bottle and taking a big swig,“Hunk made breakfast burritos.”

“They brought in a new piece for the museum, so I’ll be back a bit later than usual.” Shiro informed him.

“We’re gonna be having band practice today so I’ll be fine,” Keith assured Shiro as headed toward the door “if not I’ll just invite Pidge over for a movie marathon until you get back.”

“Have a fun day at school, brat.” Shiro called out playfully.

“You too, shit face.” Keith replied.

***

Pidge riffled through her desk for the music sheets she printed the night before for band practice. She’s been obsessed lately with this musician called Mitski and wanted them to try out a few songs. Now if she could find the damn papers that would be super...

_ Knock, knock! _

The knock-on Pidge’s wall signaled for her that Keith would be over soon. It also meant that she had to hurry the hell up. She grumbled under her breath frantically searching over her messy desk for a glimpse of the music sheets. She should have put them in her backpack as soon as she printed them out, she KNEW this would happen. But of course she got distracted watching this new cryptid video Keith sent her then she got into Tumblr and there was no going back after that.

“Got you, you little shit!” Pidge said in triumph, snatching a stack of papers that were hidden beneath her laptop.

“Katie!” Her mother called, “Keith is here!”

“Shit.” She hissed, stuffing all of her things into her  _ highly _ worn out backpack. Poor thing was basically being held up by duct tape at this point. “Coming!”

Pidge stuffed her phone in her hoodie pocket and wrapped her head phones around her neck before zooming out the door. She paused to give a quick goodbye kiss to her father, who was reading his newspaper in the living room, and to her mother, who had the door open and waiting for her. She meant with Keith and gave him their signature fist bump “Morning, loser.”

“Morning, gremlin,” He replied.

“Band practice?” Mrs. Holt asked.

Pidge nodded, “Yeah, so we’ll be back a bit late. Hunk’ll drive us home.”

“Tell him thank you,” Mrs. Holt reminded them as they began walking towards the hallway stairs.

“We will.” They reassured Mrs. Holt as she closed the door.

***

Bang! Bang!

“Lance! Get out of the damn bathroom!” His older sister growled with fury.

“Perfection takes time, Veronica,” Lance rebutted, finally finishing styling his hair “unlike you some of us want to be presentable for the world to see.” 

“There ain’t enough concealer in the world to cover up that nasty ass thing you call a face.” She shot back with a glorious amount of sass. Lance made and offended noise before grabbing his phone and throwing open the door to see his sister’s smug face, “What? It’s true.”

Lance narrowed his eyes at her before lifting a hand and pointing towards the center of her forehead, “You have a zit right there.”

She squeaked in embarrassment before rushing into the bathroom to check. Lance made a break for it to his room before she realized he was lying. He grabbed his backpack and books before heading downstairs towards the kitchen to grab his lunch. His mama was making breakfast while his papa was feeding his baby sister, Camila, and Marco, Luis, and Abuela were eating at the table.

“You staying for breakfast, mi amor?” His mama asked.

“Nah, Hunk’s got us covered today,” He informed her, “also we’re having band practice today so I’m gonna be late today.”

“Just say that you’re gonna be making out with your  _ boyfriend _ ,” Marco teased, wiggling his eyebrows at Lance, “no one blames you. Keith is a looker.”

“Marco!” His Abuela scolded him, swatting him across the head before continuing eating her breakfast.

“At least I have something going for me unlike you,” Lance shot back with a smirk. Luis giggled, giving his older brother a high five as Marco glared at the both of them. The blue-eyed boy then leaned down to kiss his Abuela goodbye before going to do the same with his mom, dad, and baby sister.

“Have to get going before Keith and Pidge convince Hunk to ditch me,” Lance explained as he hurried out of the kitchen “Bye! Love you!”

He got an echo of replies from the whole house, before the door slammed closed. 

***

“Look who finally showed up on time for once.” Keith quipped as Lance climbed into the back seat of Hunk’s beat up Volkswagen. Lance stuck his tongue out at him graciously taking the breakfast burrito handed to him.

“You wouldn’t ditch me anyways,” Lance said haughtily, “I’m buying the Starbucks today.”

“Ah, today but what about tomorrow,” Pidge pointed out, “that is literally your only voucher other than that there isn’t anything keeping us from ditching you.”

“Friendship bracelet power.” Lance replied with a dead serious face as he lifts his wrist to show off the blue beaded bracelet. Pidge and Keith groaned in unison, “God damnit.”

Hunk chuckled, “You guys were the ones that wanted to make friendship bracelets that night, underestimating their power.”

***

“Who here studied for the math quiz today?” Lance asked, slamming his locker shut and leaning against its cold surface “Because I did and I still didn’t understand shit.”

“Pfft, who studies now a days?” Pidge scoffed, leaning against the lockers as she fiddled with her laptop.

“Listen Pidgey, not all of us can be over achieving nerds like you,” Lance huffed “some of us are just naturally stupid even if we study.”

Keith rolled his eyes, stuffing his backpack into his locker, “You’re not stupid, you just gotta see things from a different angle. I’ll help you study before class starts.”

“Lance,” Hunk gently scolded, closing his own locker “what have I said about you talking bad about yourself?”

Lance quirked an eyebrow, “That you would physically fight me?”

“So then?”

The blue-eyed boy pouted, “Shiro would appreciate my self-deprecating jokes.”

“I appreciate them if that helps,” Pidge pipped up “just not the stupid joke ones. So, I’m siding with Hunk and Keith on this one as well, you can’t fight three people Lance.”

“But I can die trying,” Lance fluttered his lashes dramatically, “which is a bonus because that means I won’t have to deal with anymore of Iverson’s bullshit.”

“Mmh, big mood.” Keith nodded in agreement 

“None of y'all bitches are dying yet until I do!” Pidge declared. 

“No one’s dying period.” Hunk scolded them.

“But we’re empty inside though.” Keith shrugged followed by Lance and Pidge who hollered: “Yeet!”

“There shall be no yeeting in this house!” Hunk scrunched his nose up at his depressing friends.

 

“I hope that’s just a new millennial slang word and not some street drug I need to worry about.” A chipper voice beamed from behind. The gang turned to find their favorite teacher, Mr. Smythe, though he insists that everyone calls him Mr. Coran, holding clipboard in hand as he monitored the halls.

Lance gasped in false shock, “Sir, I am offended you would think such things of us! Hugs not drugs, remember?”

“My apologies my lads and lady,” Mr. Coran chuckled, “quite difficult to keep up with you youths these days. Not as ‘hip’ and ‘with it’ as I used to be.”

“On the contrary, that bow tie is very ‘with it’ sir.” Pidge assured, pointing at his white bow tie with multi colored mustaches on it. Mr. Coran beamed with pride, twirling one end of his orange mustache with his thumb and forefinger, “Why thank you, number five. I always did have impeccable fashion sense. The one good thing I am very ‘hip’ with.”

Keith snorted into his hand, “You sure are sir.”

“Well now, I suggest you lot get to class,” Mr. Coran said, checking his watch before making his way down the hall, “I expect to see you all ready to learn about the Roman bureaucracy come eighth period.”

Hunk groaned , “Roman? I was studying Greek last night!”

***

Pidge groaned, ruffling her hair in frustration before turning back to the question. English was her worst subject. Not that she didn’t like to read, she loved it actually, it’s just trying to interpret the work was a pain in the ass. With math and science there was always a definitive answer but with literature, depending on what the questions asked, there were a hundred differed answers, and with in those answers there were even more answers. It was all just a jumbled mess of confusion to her. Luckily, she had Lance who, aside from Keith, was actually great at English.

“Help me, I’m dying.” Pidge whined, causing Lance to roll his eyes and looked  over to her. Helping her anyways, Lance asked, “What do you need?”

“Why is Romeo chasing after a thirteen-year-old?”

Lance snorted, “Because that’s how it was in that time.”

“That’s gross,” Pidge gagged, “he’s gross Lance. Isn’t Romeo like seventeen or some shit? And why is Juliet’s nurse encouraging this? I get that it’s the late 1500s but still, don’t they have SOME moral standards?”

“Such is the way with royalty,” Lance sighed, flipping through the screenplay with a disapproving look “I get that people think that it’s one of Shakespeare’s most romantic plays, what with the forbidden romance and death and what not, but Much Ado About Nothing is seriously ten times better.”

“Or we could have read Macbeth?” Pidge suggested, cheek resting on her hand “Or watched the movie. The 2010 adaptation with Sir Patrick Stewart was pretty wicked.”

“That is literally the only other Shakespeare playwright you know of isn’t it?” Lance teased with a slight smug look on his face. 

“Nuh-uh,” Pidge protested, pausing for a moment to think she returned the smug, “I know Hamlet.”

“You only know it in passing conversation, you’ve never even read it!” Lance flabbergasted. 

Pidge huffed in defeat, “Hey, I’m not all that into Shakespeare, that’s your department. I’m more of a sci-fi, fantasy gal myself. Ya know, Vonnegut, Scott Card, and Stephenson.”

“I think if you would just take some time to read a bit more Shakespeare you’d appreciate him more.” Lance insisted.

Pidge paused a moment, trying to process this whole situation going on right this second, “Ya know, this whole dynamic is usually the other way around.”

“Not my fault you suck at English.” Lance snickered. 

“Speaking of sucking, and not the fun kind, how was your math quiz?”

Now it was Lance’s turn to groan, his head slumping onto the crook of his elbow, “Terrible, thank god for Keith though. I would of sucked extra hard if he hadn’t been there to help me study last minute. I didn’t fail but I have nothing to brag about either.”

“I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt because you have Ulaz,” Pidge reassured, patting her friend’s head, “he’s cool but even I have a bit of difficulty with him. He’s about the same difficulty level as Thace in English soooo, yeah, you’re just as fucked as me.”

Lance perked up immediately, as if he just remembered something important, “You know what I heard?” He gestured for Pidge to huddle closer to listen, keeping his voice in a low hushed tone, “I heard that Mr. Thace and Mr. Ulaz have a thing going on.”

Pidge corked a brow in curiosity, “A thing?”

“Yeah, you know, a ‘thing’?” Lance gestured vaguely yet sort of answering Pidge is question.

“Like a booty call thing or a you and Keith thing?”

“Wait, what do you mean a me and Keith thing?” Lance questioned. 

Pidge shrugged, “Ya know, the thing you and Keith have.”

“Me and Keith have a thing?” He didn’t act embarrassed like Pidge thought he would just confused and somewhat curious. 

 

“What kind of thing?”

Pidge shrugged, struggling to find words to describe it, “Ya know, a…a you and Keith thing. It’s just this sort of ‘special’ thing you guys have. I don’t really know how to explain it.”

“What, like…dating?” Lance asked carefully, a light blush spread across his cheeks at the mere mention of the word.

“Yes? No? Um…” Pidge huffed in frustration making vague hand gestures “it’s just this ‘thing’ that’s there that you guys have.”

“And how long has that,” He makes a vague hand gesture as well, “‘thing’ been there?”

Pidge groaned, leaning back against her chair, “I don’t know man!”

“Miss. Holt, Mr. McClain, I do hope that whatever you’re discussing so passionately is related to the work at hand.” Mr. Thace cut in, his face was stern but his eyes gave way to a playful twinkle.

“Well, it certainly has a Shakespeare-esque feel to it.” Pidge shrugged meekly while Lance banged his head against the table.

***

“I swear to god it’s like Ms. Bobbin all over again.” Keith growled under his breath, looking over the lab sheet once more before grabbing the correct chemicals.

“You’re telling me.” Hunk whimpered.

Ms. Bobbin, who had been their 3 rd grade teacher, was possible the worst teacher the education system had the pleasure of hiring. If she was in a bad mood everybody had to be in a bad mood with her and if she was in a good mood the best you got was paperwork and snappy remarks to shut up. Now Mrs. Haggar (yeah, they were surprised she was married too) was a whole different monster. They kind of sympathized with her because, in all honesty, high schoolers could be fucking dicks. So, it was natural for a teacher to be worn down and grumpy after dealing with bratty kids for years. But Haggar kind of took that to the extreme.

She was good at what she taught but sometimes it was too good, like college level lectures. Even if this was an AP chem class these were still teenagers and some of them were still not ready for that level of teaching. They could barely keep up with AP classes as it is let alone college. Tied in with the fact that she’s crazy strict, more so than Kolivan which is saying something, and sends people to the office on the daily, due to the most maunder of things, you could say she wasn’t on anybody’s top ten.

“Why are we measuring the acidity of fruit juices?” Keith grumbled in annoyance as he poured warm orange juice into one of their beakers.

“My question is why she isn’t keeping any of these refrigerated?” Hunk questioned  as he took out their pH meter from a beaker of apple juice “All of this stuff is gunna turn sour real bad soon.”

“Well, I mean, it’s not like she’s gunna drink any of it,” Keith said only to reevaluate his previous statement “I think? Can’t you get scurvy from drinking warm fruit juices?”

“Well yeah, heat kind of destroys the acidity in fruit juices,” Hunk informed him “which, considering that, would render this experiment useless.”

Keith sighed, placing the pH meter in the sickly, yellow-orange liquid of his beaker, “I miss biology, Pidge and I got to dissect so many things in there.”

Hunk gagged in disgust, turning a bit green in the face, “Don’t remind me, the rat I was dissecting still had a baby in it. It still haunts me to this day.”

“Speaking of haunting,” Keith said a bit more excitedly “I finally found what we’re gunna do for the Friday hangout.”

“Nothing to old or haunted,” Hunk begged, “the last time you took us cryptid hunting the building was so old even the spiders were sneezing. The spiders Keith! Unlike you, they understand my allergies, Keith!”

Keith rolled his eyes, “You don’t have allergies.”

“Yes, I do!” Hunk argued against him. 

“Of what?”

“Imminent danger and looming death!”

“Mr. Garrett and Mr. Kogane!” Mrs. Haggar snapped in anger, causing Hunk to stiffen and Keith to glare “Anything you would like to share with the class that’s more important than the task at hand?”

“N-no, ma’am.” Hunk answered immediately before Keith could make any smartass remarks that would get them in even more trouble. Apparently, everyone was scared of Haggar except for Keith, which would be a good thing for most but when it comes to Keith Kogane,  it’s not. Keith was the type of person that would fight anybody if you pissed him off enough, even if they’re bigger, more skilled, and/or higher ranked. Even if he KNEW that he had no chance of winning Keith would still fight. He was temperamental and impulsive, which the gang has been able to work with and cool down over the years, but sometimes there were certain people that just rubbed Keith the wrong way.

Unfortunately, Haggar was one of those people, “Have anything to add, Mr. Kogane?”

Hunk groaned quietly, it’s like Haggar knew how pissed off she made Keith and how much effort it took him not to tell her off. Keith still had his beaker of orange juice in hand, a grip like vise turning his knuckles white. How the beaker hadn’t even cracked yet, Hunk would never know. Finally, after what seemed like hours of tension, Keith breathed in slowly and grit his teeth to reply, “No ma’am.”

“Then quit slacking off and get back to work!” She sat back down, continuing to look over and grade papers.

Keith glared down at the orange juiced in his beaker, “I wanna dump this all over her desk.”

“Yeah, I’m just gunna take that away now.” Hunk said as prayed the beaker out of his friend’s death grip and moved it as far from Keith as possible. 


	2. Cookies and Conspiracies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shay and Hunk are cute and Keith theories over the death of Caesar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thank you again to the lovely BlueAndRedMakesPurple for editing and dealing with my shitty scheduled.
> 
> ENJOY!!!!

“Ugh, I can’t wait to be  _ done _ with Haggar’s class!” Keith groaned, poking at his stale mash potatoes.

Inside, lunch was a buzz with chatter but out in the court yard where the gang resides at a picnic table under a shady oak tree, it’s relatively calm. The gloomy weather had most people huddled inside seeking a much more “cheerful” or “lively” atmosphere. But according to Pidge “those people are weak and will be the first to fall when the robot overlords take over.” Even though she herself doesn’t take to well to the outdoors either due to her allergies. But with friends, like Lance and Hunk, who liked to socialize, and Keith who got too restless if kept inside too long she had to adapt.

“Just remember, we only have her for this year then we never have to see her again.” Hunk assured, though whether it was for Keith’s comfort or his own, nobody would ever know.

“At least you don’t have her in the morning.” Pidge murmured, fiddling with what seemed to be a robotic limb.

“Well, you guys are the ones that wanted to be over achievers and take AP chem classes while I was the only normal one of the bunch,” Lance quipped, unapologetically “we all heard the same rumors about the witch in AP chem class 3 but did any of you listen? Nooo, ‘it was all mindless gossip’ you said. ‘She’s probably not that bad,’ you said. Look who’s laughing now! Lancey Lance, that’s who!”

“Shut your hole!” Keith grumbled, flicking a spoonful of mash potatoes across the table. Lance merely laughed, easily dodging the assault of food before returning fire with a fist full of chips. Hunk put a stop to the argument before it could escalate, “Can you guys not, for once? This is why nobody likes us sitting inside.”

“I thought we agreed we sat out here willingly?” Pidge questioned, taking a bite of her sandwich.

“If by willingly you mean: to avoid the dirty looks the lunch monitor gives us? Then yes.”

“That, and he also wants to stare at  _ Shay _ all lunch period.” Keith teased in a sing-song voice.

“Oooooh!” Lance joined in, snickering at the deep blush that spread across his best friend’s face.

Shay Balmera, was president of the geology club and resident sweetheart at Garrison High. She was popular but not in the snobbish stereotypical sense, she was sweet and kind and just an overall great person to be around. Not one person had a bad thing to say about her, except for maybe Lotor but then again who doesn’t he talk shit about. But anyways, Shay was a great person in general, so it wasn’t that hard to see why Hunk had a crush on her.

“Th-that’s not true,” Hunk stammered “she just...coincidentally eats lunch out here too. It’s a big courtyard and, surprisingly, not everyone likes to sit inside.”

“Mmh, yeah,” Pidge said cheekily “she coincidently likes to eat lunch outside and coincidently sits across the courtyard right in your field of vision, near the entrance that we go through once lunch is finished. You know, coincidently.”

Hunk huffed, red cheeked and flustered, “I-it’s not like that.”

“Hunk, buddy,” Lance sighed, placing a firm hand on his shoulder “I can’t believe that  _ I’m _ the one that has to tell you this but, just go talk to her. You can’t just keep passive aggressively stalking her all your life.”

“Is that even a thing?” Keith wondered aloud “Can you passive aggressively stalk someone?”

“I’m not stalking her!” Hunk squeaked before clearing his voice to a much lower volume “I-I’m not. I just…happen to notice her more than most.”

Lance sighed, rolling his eyes, “I thought  _ I _ was supposed to be the hot mess of the group when it comes to relationships.”

“Look Hunk,” Pidge interjected, setting aside her robotic arm “we aren’t asking you to marry her or anything, just talk to her. Who knows, maybe you guys well hit it off? She’ll make a great addition to the group.”

“When even the ace of the group starts giving you love advice that’s when you  _ know _ you have a problem,” Keith warned “best you man up, buddy, or we’ll be force to intervene.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Hunk asked worriedly, getting his answer a few moments later when Lance abruptly stood up and screamed, “HEY SHAY!”

Hunk gave another undignified squeak seeing as the short haired beauty turned to see them, her large doe eyes full of curiosity. Lance gestured for her to come over and Hunk had half a mind to pull him back down so hard he’d probably fall off the table. But of course, he wouldn’t do that, or more accurately couldn’t do that, because he was frozen in place as watched Shay trot across the courtyard. At that moment Hunk wished for the ground to open and swallow him whole, for that would be a better fate then whatever embarrassing plan his friends had in store for him.

“How do you know Shay?” Pidge asked.

“She’s in my Theater Arts class,” Lance informed “she handles background and costuming mostly.”

“Hey Lance, what’s up?” Shay greeted as she approached the table. Pidge and Keith stood by in silence, curious as to what Lance had plan, while Hunk tried to make himself as invisible as possible.

“Nothing, just wanted to see how my favorite stage hand is doing,” Lance said smoothly as he bent to reach into Hunk’s bag and pull out a plastic baggy full of oatmeal cookies “And we were wondering if you would like some of Hunk’s oatmeal cookies, he made a bit extra during cooking class and we’re pretty full to finish them off ourselves.”

“We are?” Keith asked before tensing and taking a sharp inhale when he felt the heel of Pidge’s shoe dig into his toes. Shay gives them a concerned look while Pidge merely grinned and Keith grit his teeth in response, “Oh yeah, we are.”

“Take some, they’re really good,” Lance insisted, dangling the bag of cookies in front of her “Hunk is an absolute god when it comes to making anything food related.”

“Really?” Shay asked, eyes sparkling with excitement.

“I-I’m not…I-I-I don’t really,” Hunk stammered “I mean, i-it’s just a simple cookie recipe.”

“I think my friend is in your class, she’s always talking about this guy with amazing culinary skills,” Shay informed him, pausing to think a moment “but I think she said his name was Sue…oshi? I have no idea if I’m pronouncing that right.”

“It’s actually Tsuyoshi.” Hunk corrected meekly.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I totally butchered that up,” Shay apologized frantically.

“No, it’s fine,” Hunk assured her “it’s a difficult name to pronounce that’s why most people just call me Hunk. Weird nickname, I know, I don’t even know how I got it but it’s there.”

“Well, it’s a pretty accurate nickname,” Shay winked, causing Hunk to finally keel over and ascend into the astral plane. He knew that his friends probably had smug looks on their faces but at this point he really could care less. Shay thinks he’s cute and all life is great right now.

Shay’s cheeks dusted a lovely pink as she quickly transitioned the conversation over to something else, “Let’s try these cookies out now shall we.”

“Y-you don’t have to. They aren’t all that great. Lance tends to over exaggerate things a bit.” Hunk babbled, finally able to pull himself together.

Lance gasped in false offence, “Excuse me! I speak nothing but the truth here!”

“Well, I’ll be the judge of that, now won’t I?” Shay smiled playfully, taking a cookie for herself and popping it into her mouth. She hummed happily, still chewing as she grabbed another cookie, “These are amazing! You actually made them?”

Hunk twiddled his fingers bashfully, “Yeah.”

“He can make a lot more than cookies though,” Pidge butted in “if you’re ever lucky enough to try his breakfast burrito wraps I guarantee you’ll have some sort of spiritual awakening.”

“Mmh,” Keith agreed “same goes for his spicy beef stir fry.”

“Sounds intense,” Shay giggled “wish I could experience it.”

“You know what else is intense?” Lance asked rhetorically, a look on his face that told Hunk he had a crazy idea that may or may not work. All his life Hunk has feared that look, it had gotten him and the gang into so much trouble when they were little. But they’re older now and Lance was trying to help Hunk make a good impression, which was going good so far. Maybe, for once, it would be okay to take a risk with whatever Lance has in store.

“Hunk playing guitar, he’s one of the leads in our band.” Never mind this was a terrible, terrible idea and Hunk regrets every single bit of it.

“Really?” The excited sparkle in Shay’s eyes returned and Hunk found himself relaxing, just a little bit.

“Yeah!” Lance declared “He’s wicked good on chords! I mean, we only play for funzies so we aren’t really famous. But if we were, with Hunk by our side, on other band would stand a chance. I mean-”

“I am not that good.” Hunk cut in before Lance could continue to glamorize him for something he’s not “Mediocre at best.”

“Well, I’d have to hear it to believe it,” Shay remarked bashfully “I would really like to hear you guys play. Even if you guys just do it for fun it be cool if I could sit in during one of your practices. Or…maybe not, I’m probably overstepping my boundaries here.”

“No, no, no, it be totally cool!” Hunk blurted out hurriedly before clearing his throat and composing himself “I-I mean, you know, if you want?”

“Yeah, that be cool,” Shay beamed shyly “I’d have to ask my parents but whenever you guys are good with me coming over, I will.”

“Oh, totally, you know what?” Lance fished out his phone from his pocket and began typing “Since I already have your number I’ll just text you everyone else is, you know, just in case I’m not available. Since Hunk is the only one with a car we usually revolve around his schedule so if you need any solid band meeting info you should text him. He’ll for sure know.”

A little ping sound came from Shay’s pocket, alerting her that she received Lance’s text. At the same time the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, students began to pack up and head inside. Shay’s friends called for her from the other side of the court yard to which she replied that she’d be there in a moment. She turns back to the group with a beaming beautiful smile that got Hunk’s stomachs doing all kinds of flips.

“Thank for the cookies, and I’ll make sure to text you.” She promised as she began to jog backwards towards her friends.

Hunk waved as she left, “Y-yeah, thanks—I mean you’re welcome—I mean sure!”

She disappeared along with the crowd of students inside the building and Hunk was left feeling giddy and still waving. Lance grabbed his wrist and put it down before leaping onto his best friend for a hug, squealing. Pidge and Keith joined along too, shaking his shoulders enthusiastically.

“Dude, she totally likes you!” Lance exclaimed.

“You think so?” Hunk asked breathlessly.

“Oh yeah,” Keith confirmed “even I can see it and I’m the most aloof person here.”

“See, the alien noticed it so it must be true.” Pidge half joked.

More squeals erupted from the group and Hunk found himself getting caught up in their enthusiasm as well. He had to remind himself to bake Lance a cake later, fuck it, a whole entire feast.

***

Lance dropped to his knees, the laurel wreath on his head tipping to one side at the sudden movement. He held tight onto the plastic knife between his armpit as he looked up towards the sky, you could practically hear the nonexistent sad music playing in the background. “Let me a little show it, even in this;/That I was constant Cimber should be banish'd,/And constant do remain to keep him so.”

Pidge rolled her eyes at Lance’s hammed up performance before delivering her line in the driest tone possible, “O Caesar,—”

Lance reached up towards the sky, his form wavering, “Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus?”

“Great Caesar,—” Hunk resisted in an equally robotic tone but he was at least trying unlike Pidge.

“Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?” Lance cried, arm come down to clutch at his makeshift tunic.

“Speak, hands for me!” Keith exclaimed, though it was just as bland it was much more enthusiasm. He advanced forward to “stab” Lance joined by Pidge and Hunk who huddled around him and “killed” Caesar. They moved back only for Lance to grab onto Hunk’s arm, pulling him down until he was bent face to face with him, “Et tu, Brute! Then fall, Caesar.”

Lance flopped onto the floor motionless and the class gave an up roar of applause. As quickly as he fell he sprung up to take a bow alongside his friends, relishing in the attention he was getting. Hunk, Keith, and Pidge rolled their eyes at Lance is dramatics but with Lance hogging the spotlight nobody paid any mind to them, which they appreciated greatly.

“Wonderful!” Coran praised, he had been seated in one of the empty desks in the back of the class to observe the performance. He looked around the class expectedly, “Anybody else performing a scene from Julius Caesar for extra credit?”

There was a murmur of awkward excuses stating they would do it tomorrow and though Coran seemed a little disappointed he perked up rather quickly. “Alright then, just a few questions for the group then we’ll go on with our lesson today. So, why did you lot choose this scene in particular?”

“Because I wanted a big monolog moment.” Lance admitted.

“I wanted as few lines as possible.” Pidge put in.

“I just went along with it.” Hunk shrugged.

“I wanted to stab Lance.” Keith said bluntly, causing the class to erupt into laughter.

“Fight me, Kogane!” Lance exclaimed dramatically while Keith just stuck his tongue out at him.

“Yes, yes, those are…reasons,” Coran chuckled “but what’s the signifies of it? And how does the play differ from the actual event?”

“Well, they kill Caesar for one,” Lance listed off “so that’s a big thing, and mainly they did it because they were paranoid. Both in the play and in real life.”

“In the play they killed Caesar because they feared that his popularity would lead him to be crowned king which would corrupt him, thus leading to a dictatorship.” Pidge elaborated.

“Which is stupid.” Keith added.

“Even though he had already rejected the offer three times,” Pidge continued “and in the actual event the Senate feared that he would overthrow them in favor of tyranny even though they’re the ones that voted him in as dictator in the first place.”

“Which is also stupid.”

“Good, good,” Coran nodded, twiddling his mustache in thought “but why choose to kill him instead of talking it out?”

Hunk shrugged, “Cuz some people are just mean like that?”

“It was a conspiracy, of sorts, pitted against him.” Keith declared. Lance groaned, muttering under his breath, “Here we go.”

“Look,” Keith began “the Roman republic was falling apart with war and corruption and such then all of a sudden they decide to vote in Caesar as dictator thinking it would solve the problem. Sure, he had a good reputation being a senator and military general but making him dictator would solve nothing, it would actually give him more insight on the corruption on the republic. So of course, he would want to fix that by making a strong central government, taking away the Senate's corrupted influence but not overthrowing them as a whole. All this was obvious to happen-”

“It was?” Lance asked, confused.

“-so why make him dictator in the first place?” Keith went on “Because they had already established that they were going to murder him. They waited and allowed Caesar to get into power making it obvious to the people that he was changing their way of life then come swooping in like some vigilantes to defeat the tyrannical king, take him out, and become saviors of Rome. What they didn’t account for was the people actually  _ agreeing _ with the changes Caesar was making, thus giving it that last motivational push that finalizing the end of the Roman republic one Caesar was killed.”

“Is there an end to this?” Lance complained.

“And in retrospect,” Keith continued “their plan shouldn’t have backfired  _ that _ badly. Unless there was somebody conspiring against them as well. Spies on the inside loyal to Caesar, who knew that he was going to be assassinated since the beginning. So instead of stopping his inevitable death he used it as a ‘detonator’ of sorts. You make a big impact on people if you fight to make changes for the better but you make an even bigger impact if you’re murdered for those changes. Caesar sealed the end fate of the Roman republic as soon as he found out they were going to kill him.”

The class was quiet with an air of shock and awe as they all tried to process what was just said. Even Coran was silently puzzling over what Keith had just spewed out. Lance and Hunk had stopped their eye rolling and groaning to really thing along with the class while Pidge was gushing over how cool that was.

“Dude, that makes so much sense! How did you even piece that together? I didn’t even see it!”

Keith shrugged, “I just thought it was weird that the Senate made Caesar dictator when they knew that would be the end game for them. So, I did a bit of research, and surprisingly I didn’t need to dig very far because the answer was plane and clear. Right in front of our faces even, the best place to hide. It was more of an epiphany moment instead of connecting the pieces together.”

“I’m just surprised that it didn’t end with something about the Illuminati.” Lance said, finally pulling himself out of his stupor.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a kudos and comment!


End file.
